First floor of The Acme. The restaurant and music venue will be in the former Acme Feed & Supply building. / Jen Todd / The Tennessean

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The Tennessean

A new restaurant is joining the lower Broadway business district and reviving some local history.

The Acme restaurant and music venue will take over the three-story former Acme Feed & Supply building at 101 Broadway, but won’t change much.

“The main thing we’re going to do is keep it the same,” said local restarateur Tom Morales, owner of The Southern Steak & Oyster and others. He is one of the investors in the group working on the project, along with former Country Music Association CEO Steve Moore, Crocs founder George Boedecker, artist manager Nancy Russell and musician Alan Jackson.

Wooden floors, old white and brown paint on the walls, tall columns and other features will remain to keep the history present in the new venue. The building, built in 1890, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but guests can look forward to a modern experience.

“The first floor will be a fast dining experience,” Morales said, geared more toward lunch and having the same menu available all day.

Upstairs on the second floor, guests will be able to relax in a “vintage lounge,” with couches, cocktails, TVs, shuffleboard and vintage games.

The third floor will become “probably the largest music venue on Lower Broad, single floor,” Morales said. This floor will also be available for event rentals.

For a great view of downtown, guests can head up to the rooftop patio to stand on top of history.

“This wasn’t born out of a business plan — this was born from the heart,” Morales said.